Young Afghan women barely remember Taliban but fear a return
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Two yellow burqas are on display at a television station in Kabul, bright versions of the blue ghostlike garments some women in the capital still wear. For the young women at Zan TV they are relics, a reminder of a Taliban-ruled past that few of them can recall.
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Their generation is the most vulnerable, and perhaps the most defiant, as the United States and the Taliban near a deal on ending Americas longest war. Worried about losing what theyve gained over nearly two decades, they are demanding a voice in high-level talks to determine their countrys future.
For me, I will not submit myself to the Taliban, said Shogofa Sadiqi, Zan TVs 25-year-old chief director, who believes the insurgent group will have less impact as it faces a new generation. She described the burqas as a symbol of the challenges women have faced over the years and practically shuddered when asked if shed worn one herself. Never, ever. I dont like it, she said, switching to English to make her feelings clear.
About two-thirds of Afghanistans population is 25 or younger, with little or no memory of life before 2001. Thats when a U.S.-led invasion pushed out the Taliban, who had sheltered al-Qaida and its leader Osama bin Laden before the 9/11 attacks and imposed a harsh form of Islamic law that kept women out of public view.
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